Service Award
The WBAI Service Award honors a distinguished WBAI member for exemplary achievement, whether through outstanding performance on a specific project or sustained excellence over a defined period.
2026 Recipients
Julie Murphy
June 26, 2026
Julie represents HME clients in a broad range of legal matters, including civil rights violations, nursing home negligence, and other malpractice actions.
Before joining HME, Julie built a diverse legal career representing both individuals and corporations, plaintiffs and defendants alike, across numerous areas of law. Her experience includes civil rights and malpractice litigation, professional liability, auto and trucking accidents, construction and workplace injuries, invasions of privacy, insurance disputes, and breach of contract claims. An accomplished litigator, Julie has tried multiple cases to verdict, briefed and argued countless motions and appeals, and negotiated favorable resolutions for clients nationwide. She is admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions across the country.
A Chicago native, Julie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Spanish from the University of Illinois, graduating with honors. She spent several years conducting immunology research at Rush University Medical Center before pursuing her J.D. at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she again graduated with honors. During law school, Julie interned with several government agencies, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Illinois Appellate Court, Cook County State’s Attorney, and the City of Chicago.
Julie’s scientific background strengthens her analytical approach to case development, while her wide-ranging legal experience enhances her ability to advocate effectively for clients. She is committed to ensuring that clients remain informed, empowered, and confident throughout every step of representation.
Julie is also active in the legal community. She has served as a judicial evaluation investigator for both the Illinois State Bar and Chicago Bar associations, volunteered with programs such as Wills for Heroes, the Driver’s License Expungement Expo, and the Girl Scouts’ mock trial project, and currently serves as an arbitrator for the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program.
Jane Sitorius
June 26, 2026
Jane Sitorius is an associate at Barnes & Thornburg, LLP where she practices healthcare law and advises healthcare providers with respect to regulatory, transactional, and general corporate matters. Jane currently serves as a WBAI Director, co-chairs the Newsletter Committee, and participates in the WBAI mentorship program as a mentor.
Hon. Perla Tirado
June 26, 2026
Perla is currently assigned to the First Municipal Division at the Daley Center. She has presided over commercial and residential evictions, the Consumer Debt Early Resolution Program, and civil jury trials. Judge Tirado is a member of several bar associations and mentors law students throughout the year.
As an attorney, Perla held positions in government, private practice, and non-profit legal assistance. She began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County. She later transitioned into private practice where she handled both criminal and civil matters in Cook County and surrounding collar counties. Prior to becoming a judge, she worked as a supervising attorney for Beyond Legal Aid, formerly known as the Community Activism Law Alliance. In her time at Beyond Legal Aid, she was a supervising attorney, where she helped recently hired attorneys to develop their lawyering and trial skills. Perla also coordinated a weekly free legal clinic in partnership with Enlace Chicago, and represented clients in civil, criminal and immigration matters and removal defense.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Boston College, where she double majored in Philosophy and Theology. She received her law degree from DePaul University College of Law, with a Certificate in International Law.
2025 Recipients
Tracey L. Schroeder
June 26, 2025
Tracey L. Schroeder is an attorney and seasoned communications strategist who recently launched
Schroeder Communications, a firm helping law firms, businesses, and nonprofits craft compelling stories and build standout brands.
With a background as a Special Assistant Attorney General and more than two decades in high-impact communications roles—including at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund—Tracey brings a rare blend of legal insight and marketing expertise. She also serves as Communications & Marketing Officer and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief for the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.
Ashley Stead
June 26, 2025
Ashley is a dedicated advocate for workers’ rights, currently serving as an attorney at McGann, Ketterman & Rioux in Chicago, where she represents individuals and labor organizations in a wide range of legal matters at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to her current role, Ashley served as Senior Legal Counsel in the Office of the Senate President for the Illinois State Senate Democratic Caucus. There, she was a key architect behind a multi-year legislative package focused on increasing workplace protections against harassment and discrimination following the #MeToo movement. Beyond issues directly related to labor and employment, Ashley worked on several initiatives impacting Illinois families, including drafting and negotiating a legislative package aimed at expanding affordable housing preservation and development, a gun safety initiative to ban “ghost guns”, and environmental protections requiring the removal of coal ash byproduct from Illinois lands.
Ashley is an active member of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and the Chicago Bar Association, and she volunteers at her local food pantry to distribute food to her neighbors. She is currently expecting her first child and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their pets. In her free time, she enjoys weekend adventures with their dog, discovering new places to eat, spending time outdoors, and catching the latest movies at their local theater.
2024 Recipients
Chandler Caswell
June 27, 2024
Chandler Caswell is an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg LLP where she handles litigation matters for primarily pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturer clients in the areas of product liability and mass tort disputes. She also assists with review and analysis of product liability claims, medical records and related injury documentation.
Chandler is very involved with various different bar associations in Chicago, including being a co-chair of the Alliance for Women of the Chicago Bar Association and a member of the Young Lawyers Board of the Illinois State Bar Association. She earned her J.D. in 2020 from University of Illinois Chicago John Marshall School of Law and her B.A. from Arizona State University in 2016. In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball and biking/walking around Chicago with her dog Poppy.
América A. Guzmán
June 27, 2024
América is a corporate litigation associate at Esbrook P.C., a boutique commercial litigation firm in Chicago. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, class action suits, Title IX and sexual harassment, breach of warranty/contract, products liability, tort claims, disputes arising out of corporate transactions, business litigation, insurance litigation, and environmental counseling and litigation. Her experience spans across the United States, in both State and Federal Courts.
A transplant from Detroit, América obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, School of Law. América was previously an experienced boxing instructor and national public speaker and presenter. Her involvement with the WBAI includes co-chairing the Sports Law, Mental Health & Wellness, Golf Outing, Annual Dinner, and Young Lawyers Committees. She is honored to receive a Service Award for her work in furthering the WBAI’s mission—empowering women in the law.
Blaire Theuerkauf
June 27, 2024
Blaire Theuerkauf is currently an attorney at Metra, where she provides legal guidance and support to Metra’s Board of Directors, executive team and staff. Prior to transitioning to an in-house role, Blaire gained extensive knowledge practicing civil litigation handling cases and issues related to negligence, employment, toxic tort, premise liability, product liability and complex construction.
Blaire earned her undergraduate degree from Augustana College before attending DePaul University College of Law. While in law school, Blaire served as the President of DePaul’s Women’s Bar Association, the Treasurer and Alumni Relations Chair for the Appellate Moot Court Society, and was the Managing Editor of Notes and Comments for DePaul’s Business and Commercial Law Journal.
Outside of the office, Blaire donates her time and attention to her church’s Administer Justice Center, as a justice champion and volunteer attorney. She also serves on Southside Center of Hope’s Young Professional Board.
Erin M. Wilson
June 27, 2024
Erin founded the Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC in 2019 after practicing for 10 years at a preeminent family law firm where she was a partner. She focuses exclusively on family law cases which include divorce, custody/parenting issues, child support and maintenance, domestic violence and prenuptial agreements.
Erin sits on the boards of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and Decalogue Society, and is an active member of the WBAI and ISBA, including sitting on the Family Law Section Council and chairing Women & the Law. Erin is a founding member of the Illinois Association of Independent Attorneys, the Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment, and the Lady Lawyers who Lunch. Erin has been named a Rising Star, Emerging Leader by Leading Lawyers, and Illinois Super Lawyers for multiple years. She received the ISBA Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2016, Decalogue Society’s Intra Society Award in 2023, and the WBAI Top Women in Leadership Flexible Employer Award in 2023.
2023 Recipients
Hayley Graham
May 31, 2023
Hayley Graham is the principal attorney of The Law Office of Hayley K. Graham, LLC, where she represents individuals in personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. She also provides a full range of legal services to meet her clients’ changing needs long after their injuries have healed. A fierce supporter of workers’ rights, her advocacy has been recognized by her peers. Hayley has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star, a distinction given to only 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois, and an Illinois Emerging Lawyer, an accolade given to only 2% of attorneys under 40 practicing less than 10 years.
Hayley’s commitment to exposing injustice precedes her legal career. Prior to law school, Hayley was a journalist and part of an enterprise-reporting team that garnered the top award in Illinois for investigative reporting. In 2012, Hayley graduated from DePaul University College of Law, where she focused her studies on courtroom advocacy.
Hayley has since served as a mentor to DePaul law students. She has also been a guest coach for the mock trial team at a local high school. Most recently, she volunteered to help CPS seniors develop college admission and scholarship essays. Hayley previously served as the WBAI Secretary of Membership, and has also served as a Director on the WBAI board. She has been an active member of the WBAI for many years, and has co-chaired numerous events and committees, including the Annual Dinner, Judicial Reception, Newsletter and Mentorship.
Tracey Schroeder
May 31, 2023
Tracey L. Schroeder is an associate attorney specializing in health care law. She previously practiced in several areas including condemnation, personal injury, contract disputes, insurance defense, property rights and government regulation and licensing.
Prior to her return to the practice of law, Tracey spent 20 years working in public relations, communications and marketing in Chicago. She has worked for both for-profit and non-profit organizations, including Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the American Board of Medical Specialties and, most recently, the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
As a dedicated member of the WBAI, Tracey serves as a WBAI Director and also serves on several WBAI Committees, including Annual Dinner, Judicial Reception, Annual Golf Outing, and Newsletter Committee, where she serves as editor in chief of the WBAI Newsletter.
Tracey earned her undergraduate degree from Miami University, her MBA from Dominican University and her JD at the John Marshall Law School.
Whitney K. Siehl
May 31, 2023
Whitney K. Siehl is a Plaintiffs’ litigator focused on class actions in the areas of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, antitrust, mass torts, consumer protection, environmental, and sports law at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP.
Whitney chaired the WBAI Annual Golf Outing since 2015 and hosts clinics teaching women to golf. She has chaired WBAI committees including the Judicial Reception, Annual Dinner, and Mentoring committee among many others. She has served the WBAI board since 2017 and will serve as WBAI’s President for the 2023-2024 bar year. She enjoys volunteer marathon pace coaching and has completed numerous marathons and triathlons. She received her J.D., cum laude, from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law and her B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University, where she was a member of the Northwestern Women’s Golf Team.
2022 Recipients
Lauren Buford
June 16, 2022
Lauren Buford is Senior Counsel, Tort Litigation at Walgreens. Prior to joining Walgreens, Lauren gained nearly 15 years of litigation experience working in the public and private sectors including an Am Law 100 law firm and two municipal corporations. She was sworn in as a Director of the WBAI in June of 2021. She is currently the co-chair of the Diversity Committee and the Civil Litigation Committee. Additionally, Lauren is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Sarah King
June 16, 2022
Sarah F. King is a partner and trial attorney at Clifford Law Offices, P.C. Sarah represents injured people and their families in personal injury and wrongful death actions. Sarah was elected Second Vice President of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI). She will ascend to President of the statewide organization for the 2024-25 term. Sarah also serves on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors where she was a co-founder of its Women’s Caucus, which encourages female leadership within the profession and acts as a resource for the mentorship of young female trial attorneys.
Soobin Lee
June 16, 2022
Soobin Lee, the Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee, is an Associate Attorney at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman & Offutt, LLC. She represents victims of medical malpractice, with an emphasis on birth injury cases. Soobin is fluent in both English and Korean. She lives in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago with her Goldendoodle, Roy.
Kristine Schanbacher
June 16, 2022
Kristine Schanbacher is a senior managing associate of Dentons’ Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. Her focus is on complex commercial litigation in both federal and state courts. She has experience in a wide variety of commercial disputes, including class action, contracts, media law, business torts, and insurance matters.
Katherine Twardak
June 16, 2022
Katherine (“Katie”) Twardak is an attorney at Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC, dedicated to representing those individuals and families in personal injury and wrongful death actions, including medical malpractice, premises liability, nursing home abuse, construction negligence and transportation negligence. Katie has been on the board of the WBAI for two years. She has served as Co-Chair of the Annual Dinner Committee, Judicial Reception Committee, Judicial Evaluation Committee and Civil Litigation Committee.
2021 Recipients
Courtney Lindbert
Aug. 26, 2021
2020 Recipients
Diana Joseph
Sept. 20, 2020
2019 Recipients
Margaret P. Battersby Black
May 30, 2019
Genevieve E. Niemann
May 30, 2019
Courtney O. Wylie
May 30, 2019
2018 Recipients
Sara M. Davis
June 13, 2018
Jennifer L. Yu
June 13, 2018
2014 Recipients
RoxAnne Rochester (post humously)
June 6, 2014
Charlotte Adelman
June 6, 2014
Elsie Holzwarth
June 6, 2014